by Steph
“Yeah, well, the guys aren’t hard on the eyes,” Faith continued, “and the game moves. I love that.”
Yes, Faith would. Before her accident, she’d been a soccer player and a runner. And if Bliss thought about that much longer, her good mood would evaporate.
Instead, she shoved the thought out of her mind and watched Shane step onto the ice. In his gear with his mask on, he should’ve been indistinguishable from the other goalie. But she would’ve been able to pick him out of a lineup of men in the exact uniform. Something about the way he held himself captured her complete attention.
She didn’t take her eyes off him as he went through his pre-face-off routine, roughing the ice in front of his net, taking a drink, then tapping the posts with his stick in a certain rhythm. Every goalie had their own routine. Or so she’d been told. She only ever had eyes for Shane.
Dangerous. He was so dangerous.
And yet, when the first tickets had arrived, she knew immediately she was going to use them.
He’d sent her tickets to every home game with a bouquet of flowers. The first bouquet had had fifteen daisies.
The second had had fourteen. They’d continued to get smaller. It had taken her until the start of the second series to realize that the flowers signified how many games they needed to win to capture the championship.
She couldn’t help but feel like it was also a countdown and that made her heart ache.
He would still be leaving at the end of the season, going home to Minnesota or elsewhere to train until training camp started late this summer in Philadelphia.
Which isn’t that far away.
She shook the thought out of her head. She couldn’t go down that path. Not if she wanted to keep her distance.
And do you?
Snapped out of her thoughts by everyone around her standing, she shot to her feet as a group of schoolkids sang the anthem, but she couldn’t take her eyes off Shane. He wasn’t wearing his mask, of course, and she had the almost overwhelming urge to run her fingers along his jaw, covered by a thick beard. Not even his playoff beard could disguise the handsome lines of his face.
She wanted to feel his beard against her skin, preferably between her thighs—
Shit.
Luckily, the ref dropped the puck.
And she sucked in a breath and held it.
*
Second period.
The Redtails were up by one but they’d been losing at the end of the first period.
The defense had scrambled after a broken play in the other end and Pittsburgh Spikes’ Greg Bruecker had skated off on a breakaway and scored the first goal of the game.
It’d been a beautiful shot and Shane would’ve been able to admire it—if it hadn’t been against him.
As it was, he allowed himself to be pissed off for five seconds and then he shut it out and reset.
Between periods, the defensemen had apologized before the coach ripped their asses for getting dominated that first period.
And the Redtails had come out flying at the beginning of the second period.
CJ had scored the first goal, which had lit a fire under the crowd’s ass. And then their top goal scorer, Tyler Richardson, had scored a short-hander after a questionable penalty on Lad.
And just that fast, the ice tilted back in the Redtails’ favor.
Shane watched the play at the opposite end, never taking his eyes off the puck. So he saw Riley whiff on a one-timer from the top of the left circle and watched the Spikes’ first line break away toward him with speed.
The Redtails defensemen scrambled to catch up and, as ten players raced toward him, Shane had a split second to set.
Skating out to meet the onrushing players, he kept his eyes on the puck as the right winger passed to the left winger setting up on Shane’s right.
He lost sight of the right winger but saw the way his guys were moving and knew that winger now had to be behind him.
Which meant he was blindsided by the crash.
All he felt was the rush of bodies crashing into him at high speed.
He went down, his head hit the ice, and bodies fell on top of him.
Everything went black for a second and he had the terrifying thought that he’d blacked out.
Then he realized someone’s arm had covered his mask. But his fight response had already kicked in and he was trying to toss players off him as his ears began to ring.
Fuck.
As he struggled to his knees, lungs working to replace the air that’d gotten knocked out of him, he saw his guys ripping opposing players away from him. Saw the linesmen jump in to separate bodies.
But it was all a little blurry.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Shaking his head, he tried to bring everything into focus. And that was when he heard Lad shout for the trainer.
He wanted to wave him off, wanted to get off his damn knees and get his skates under him.
But he wasn’t sure he could do it without falling over.
So he stayed down and waited for the trainer.
And hoped like hell that he could finish the game.
*
Bliss saw Shane go down under a pile of bodies and, around her, the crowd gasped and shouted.
She could do neither. She could barely breathe as her heart jumped into her throat.
She watched as his head hit the ice right before he disappeared from view as the teams swarmed around the net.
Several players paired up to fight but she only had eyes for Shane.
Rising slowly, too slowly, to his knees, he sat with his head down, unmoving.
Her lungs seized and she had to force air into her lungs.
“Oh my god,” Faith muttered. “Is he okay?”
She couldn’t answer. She could only watch as CJ leaned down to check on Shane then made a beeline for the bench, where the trainer took CJ’s arm so he could race to Shane’s side.
As the linesmen and refs got the fighting under control, everyone’s attention turned to Shane. The crowd seemed to hold its breath waiting for him to get up.
The longer it took, the harder it was for Bliss to breathe.
She didn’t realize she was on her feet until Faith took her hand.
And when it took two players to help him to his feet, she wanted to run for the stairs.
But she knew she wouldn’t be allowed downstairs. She wasn’t family. She wasn’t even his girlfriend.
And still, she couldn’t take her eyes off him. She watched as CJ and Lad helped him off the ice, watched him disappear down the hall to the locker room, the trainer on his heels.
She only returned to her seat when Nate came onto the ice to take Shane’s position.
“Hey, hon, are you okay?” Faith had leaned in to speak into Bliss’s ear because the crowd had erupted into boos as the announcer listed the penalties, including one for goaltender interference.
She had the totally insane urge to walk down the stairs to the penalty box and coldcock the player who’d taken out Shane.
Shaking her head, she turned to Faith. “I don’t even know who to ask to make sure he’s okay.”
Faith’s lips turned up in a bittersweet smile. “He’ll be back. He’s tough.”
But he didn’t return by the end of the second period.
And she honestly thought she might sit there and cry.
Until her phone vibrated.
She grabbed it before she considered the fact that it might not have anything to do with Shane. And slapped a hand over her mouth to stop her cry of joy when she realized it was from Jake.
He is fine. Be back third period. Name on list to come down. Be there.
She was going to kiss Jake when she saw him.
After she hugged the hell out of Shane.
“So are you gonna tell me what you’re smiling like a loon about or just leave me in the dark?”
Faith’s wry voice drew Bliss’s attention away from her phone.
“He’s okay.”
<
br /> Faith smiled. “Glad to hear it. But are you?”
Bliss didn’t even have to think about it. “No. I think I screwed up.”
“Yeah.” Faith nodded. “I’m pretty sure you did. But I don’t think it’s unfixable.”
“We still have the same problem, though. He’s eventually going to leave.”
“And you’ll go with him. And when he’s done playing hockey in ten or fifteen years and you want to come back, then you do. But if you love the guy, and you must because you don’t get this upset over someone you don’t love, then you’ve got to make a choice.”
Faith made it sound so easy. Bliss knew it wasn’t.
She only knew she didn’t want to be on the outside again.
*
After spending time in the dark room to assess for a concussion, Shane was pronounced fit to play by the doctor.
Damn right he was. He’d started this. He was finishing it.
“Guess you really are made of brick.” Jake bumped his shoulder as they lined up for the start of the third period. “You okay?”
“I’m good. Ready to get this done.”
Behind him, the rest of the team shuffled on their skates, sticks tapping.
“She’s here.” Jake leaned in to speak directly into Shane’s ear. “In case you wanted to know.”
The music queued up, the fans began to scream, and Shane’s adrenaline began to pump. He could’ve said it wasn’t because she was watching. He would’ve been lying.
So he turned to Jake and smiled.
“Yes, now that is the face we need.” Jake nodded. “And so we go.”
Shane shook his helmet into place and led his team out.
He’d win the game and then he’d get the girl.
Seemed like a plan.
*
Bliss gave her name to the guard at the stairs and practically held her breath. But he didn’t even need to check his list. He just waved her through.
So she could have a momentary panic attack as she walked down the stairs.
What if Jake was wrong? What if Shane didn’t want to see her?
Then why was he sending you the tickets?
Letting him go the first time had been heart-wrenching. If she was wrong about this now, her heart might just break.
Faith had assured her she’d be fine taking a taxi home. So here Bliss stood, smiling at the small talk between the wives and girlfriends but not saying much. She knew most of them by name now and, for the most part, they were sweethearts.
They didn’t say anything about the fact that she hadn’t been here for the past games. They just welcomed her back with smiles and continued on as if nothing had happened.
Which left her alone to gnaw over every little worry.
Her head popped up when she heard Chrissy squeak as her boyfriend, forward Colin Johnson, snuck up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.
Bliss looked down the hall, hoping to see Shane. A few other guys made their way out of the locker room but not hers.
He’s not yours. You pushed him away.
And if he gave her another chance, she’d make it up to him.
“Hey, Liss, I didn’t know you’d be down here.”
She turned away from the locker room to smile at her brother. “Hey, Mike. You waiting for Jake?”
He nodded, his smile bright. “Yeah, we’re gonna go eat.” Then he looked over her shoulder for a second. “See you later, Lissy.”
She figured Jake had appeared but a second later she heard her name in a familiar voice. A voice that made her thighs clench and her inside quiver.
“Bliss.”
Sucking in a breath, she turned and had to bite her lips against the huge grin that wanted to escape.
Her gaze devoured him and she blinked back sudden tears. He looked amazing. Strong. Tall. Hers.
And the way he looked at her… Steady. With so much heat in his eyes.
She wanted to reach for him, throw her arms around his shoulders and beg him to forgive her for pushing him away.
“Hi.”
“How’d you get down?”
And just that fast, she panicked again. “Jake put me on the list. I’m sorry. I should’ve warned you. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot. I just wanted—”
Curling his hands around her neck, he bent down and sealed his mouth over hers, kissing her until she could barely breathe.
When he pulled away, long seconds later, she vaguely heard the catcalls from a few of the other guys and laughter from the girls.
But nothing could take her attention from Shane.
“I’m glad you’re here. And I’ll thank Jake later—”
“You are welcome.” Jake smacked Shane on the back as he walked past to bump his fist with Mike. “Just do not wear yourself out tonight. We have a game tomorrow. Be nice to him, Bliss. He might still not be right in the head. Considering he let you go way too easily the first time, he definitely is not thinking straight.”
Shane’s lips curved, making her heart beat faster. “I’m a fast learner. And I try not to make the same mistake twice.”
Bliss shook her head, wrapping her arms around his waist. “I was the one who made the mistake. Can we—”
“Go? Absolutely.”
Shane got her turned around and headed for the door in a split second, his arm around her shoulders. Bliss had to walk fast to keep up as he made for the door to the side lot where the players parked.
“My car—”
“We’ll pick it up— Shit. I brought CJ.” He stopped, turned, and tossed his keys at Jake, whose lightning-fast reflexes allowed him to catch them.
“Give those to CJ. Tell him not to ding my truck.”
Jake’s laughter followed them out of the building but Shane didn’t slow and he didn’t talk as they hurried to her car in the lot across the street from the arena. She figured that was because there were still fans heading the same way.
A few of them recognized him, called out congratulations and encouragement for the next game. He acknowledged every one with a smile and a wave but he didn’t slow.
It wasn’t until he folded himself into her front seat and she got them on the street that he spoke.
“We’re going back to your place to work this out, right? Because I don’t want there to be any misunderstandings.”
She swallowed hard, sliding a quick glance at him, to find him staring at her. “Yes, we are.”
“And we’re going to work this out. Because I love you, Bliss. I don’t want you to have any doubt about that.”
Her hands clenched around the steering wheel at the absolute authority in his voice, and she nodded, not sure she could answer coherently and still drive.
“I missed you,” he continued. “You know that, right? I never wanted to give you up but I didn’t want you to think I was like your ex.”
“I know. Shane—”
“You got the flowers.”
“Yes. Shane—”
“When there were no more games, I would’ve shown up at your door and we would’ve talked. And I would’ve told you just what I’m telling you now.”
Stopped at a red light, she turned so she could see him. Those blue eyes, always so intensely focused, made her burn from the inside.
And when she smiled, his expression lightened enough for her to see the heat in his eyes.
Then the light changed and she stepped on the gas. He didn’t say anything else as she drove the last few miles back to her apartment.
He unfolded his big body from the front seat as soon as she put the car in park. Which meant he was at her door as soon as she opened it.
He took her hand to help her out and didn’t release her as he hustled her toward her apartment building.
By the time they reached her door, she was laughing. She couldn’t help it. She could barely keep up with him when he walked fast and, right now, he was practically running.
As she went to fit the key into the lock, he pressed himself against her b
ack, short-circuiting her brain, and she dropped the keys.
“Let me get those,” he grumbled, “because if you bend over…”
She went wet at the deep note in his voice and she might have whimpered as he scooped up the keys and opened her door.
With his hands on her hips, he hurried her through and, in the next second, he had her plastered against the door. His big body held hers against the door, so much hard muscle she wanted to bite him. Then his mouth sealed over hers. His full beard was a new sensation that only added to her sensory pleasure.
As the fury of his kiss infected her, she shoved her hands into his hair and held on tight. She’d already toed off her sneakers and locked her legs around his waist when he lifted her off her feet.
Tilting his head, he kissed her deeper, sank his tongue into her mouth, and made her moan as his hands worked at her jeans.
With a groan, he pulled away for a second. “I’m making it a rule that you always wear skirts.”
She huffed out a short laugh but, at the moment, she couldn’t agree with him more. “I may actually agree to that. But for now, just hurry.”
His mouth slipped back over hers as his fingers worked at her jeans.
“Drop your legs.”
She obeyed without thought, wrapping her arms around his shoulders so her legs could hang free and he could work her jeans down her legs.
It took a little maneuvering because that damn denim clung but finally she felt cooler air brush against her bare thighs and her mound.
Her moan sounded loud enough that she feared her brother might be able to hear her through the walls.
And then he slid his hand between her legs and flicked at her clit with two fingers and she didn’t care who heard her.
She only wanted Shane to hurry.
Hips writhing against him, she felt him fumble with his pants.
“Fuck.” He growled. “Condom.”
“Good thing you’re so good with your hands.”
He sucked in a sharp breath then let out a sharp bark of laughter. “I fucking love you, Bliss.”
He’d said it earlier in the car but here, now, she melted. Completely. Totally.
“I love you too.”
He kissed her hard enough to press her head back against the door. Then he let her slide down until her feet hit the floor.